Hospitality Within The Odyssey

Introduction

The Odyssey is an epic poem created by Homer, a Greek poet. Accompanying his other well-known epic, The Iliad, The Odyssey follows the adventure of Odysseus, a Greek hero who fought in the Trojan war, and his ten-year journey home. During this long and treacherous journey, Odysseys faces many challenges, and meets many foes. However, Odysseus does not meet just foes. He also meets many allies along the way, who help him with his journey. These characters that give Odysseus help and advice show him hospitality, a prevalent theme within The Odyssey. Among the many instances of hospitality within the story, three cases stand out as shining examples of this theme. Those instances being Telemachus meeting Athena, Odysseus meeting Nausicaa, and Odysseus facing Polyphemus. Although there are many scenes that involve the theme of hospitality, is the concept of hospitality really that important? In fact, it is. Understanding this is key to understanding the characters of this complex epic, which is why there is value in studying these moments closely. By studying these scenes within the story, the reader can understand the importance of hospitality in the world of The Odyssey, and how hospitality and inhospitality are two sides of the same coin. 

Case Study 1

Athena and Telemachus  

In book 1 of The Odyssey, Athena reveals herself to Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, to tell him that he is trapped on an island and that she believes that he will come home. Earlier in the book Telemachus is angry that many suitors have come to his house in attempts to get with his “widowed” mother. The suitors tear up Telemachus’ house which angers him and leads to Telemachus trying to kick the suitors out. When he stands up to the suitors, they laugh at him and call him a child. The passage that was chosen for this section is when Telemachus is sitting by himself fed up with all the suitors and looks over to see a stranger waiting to be let into the house. Telemachus walks over to the stranger and welcomes him in with a warm embrace. The stranger was dressed like a warrior and carried a spear which Telemachus put away for him. This passage is important because for one, Telemachus shows great hospitality even when he is angry. The guests at his house having been trashing his house but, when he sees a new guest, he still walks to them a treats them with the upmost respect and kindest greeting. The second reason why it is important is because Telemachus has never met this man before but sees him with a spear and in warrior gear which readers can then assume that Telemachus is being overly welcoming to this person because of the off chance that this stranger fought beside his dad and knows his whereabouts. This analysis turns out to be true because it was the Goddess Athena in disguise to tell Telemachus that his father is still alive but trapped on an island. She also tells Telemachus to become a strong man but that his father, Odysseus, will return some day. One quote from the passage that stood out is, “… he set her spear beside a pillar in a polished stand, in which Odysseus kept stores of weapons. And then he led her to a chair and spread a smooth embrorided cloth across the seat, and pulled a footstool up to it. He sat beside her on a chair of inlaid wood, a distance from the suitors, so their shouting would not upset the stranger during dinner; also to ask about his absent father.” This quote can help the audience better understand Telemachus for the theme of hospitality because of how welcoming he is to his guest. He takes them to a table far away from the suitors to give the guest a nice quiet place while also setting up a chair with cloth laid on it. The tone that can be felt from this excerpt is one from movies when two people walk into an office to discuss business and one hands the other a shot glass with Burban. It had the secretiveness of that scene and also the welcoming. The audience understand what the narrator is trying to say because of how she sets up the scene. She explains how he set everything up for this guest in particular and specified that it was in private which the reader can interpret that whatever they were going to talk about was going to be secretive.  

Case Study 2

Nausicaa and Odysseus 

Although Odysseus meets many hospitable and inhospitable people along his ten-year journey home, one person stands out as a significant source of hospitality within the Odyssey. That person is Nausicaa, the princess of the Phaeacians. Odysseus meets her towards the end of his journey when he is shipwrecked after leaving Calypso’s Island. He washes up on the shores of Scheria, where he is found by Nausicaa and her slaves. Odysseus approaches them, appearing beaten and tired, causing Nausicaa’s slaves to run from him in fear. Meanwhile Nausicaa, who was blessed with bravery from Athena, stood still and offered her help to Odysseus. This scene shows many elements of hospitality and inhospitality, as carried out by Nausicaa and her slaves. During this scene, the author writes “They ran along the shore quite terrified, some here, some there. But Nausicaa stayed still.” (Book 6, 138). This quote shows insight into Nausicaa’s character, and how unlike her slaves, she was not afraid of Odysseus, and instead showed him hospitality by inviting him into Scheria and informing him how he can get home. Most people would not trust a person who was in Odysseus’ state, let alone be hospitable to them. Nausicaa’s slaves ran away from him, showing him inhospitality. Nausicaa however, separates herself from them, creating a contrast between the reactions to Odysseus. This contrast not only demonstrates the character’s motives and principles, but also shows how within the Odyssey, society is not always hospitable or inhospitable, and how there can be both, even within the same scene.  

Nausicaa and Odysseus’s meeting has been adapted into many forms, and with each new adaptation, the audience gets an opportunity to interpret their interaction in different ways. One such example of this is the 1997 film adaptation of The Odyssey. Within the book, Nausicaa and Odysseus’s meeting happened over the length of a chapter. This gives the reader plenty of time to study the interactions between the characters, and how they show hospitality. In the film, however, this interaction takes place in a scene that lasts no longer than a minute. Although it seems like there is less to interpret when it comes to the movie when compared to the book, that is not the case, as the audience can still study Nausicaa’s hospitality within this short scene. For instance, in the book, it says “Athena made her legs stop trembling and gave her courage in her heart. She stood there” (Book 6,140). Nausicaa’s bravery which allowed her to stand before Odysseus was given to her by Athena, meaning that her hospitality was influenced by an outside force. However, in the film, no mention is made of Athena. Instead, Nausicaa is shown rushing to Odysseus’s side, without any influence. Although the scene is short, this small difference changes Nausicaa’s character. With the knowledge that Athena influenced her behavior, a reader of the book would determine that Nausicaa would not have helped Odysseus had Athena not blessed Nausicaa with bravery. Someone who watched the film on the other hand could interpret Nausicaa as being naturally hospitable, and she chose to help Odysseus because of her own principles. Even when Nausicaa is depicted differently, her hospitality remains a defining trait of hers that is shown within all depictions of the Odyssey, making her a shining example of hospitality as a theme within the story. 

Case Study 3

Odysseus and Polyphemus 

Odysseus’s naïve expectations for hospitality in his adventures often led him into precarious situations. In book nine of the Odyssey, Odysseus seeks the hospitality of the cyclops, expecting that they would share the same aspects of hospitality as he did back home in Troy, but foolishly stumbles into a dire situation that nearly gets all of his men killed. In the book, Odysseus and his crew encounter a desolate set of islands only inhabited by giant cyclops and their goats. Odysseus and a select few men decide to venture into one of the islands, seeking whoever might be living on it. After killing some of the goats for food, they stumble upon a cave, the home of a cyclops named Polyphemus. As Polyphemus returns to his home, he notices their presence and their consumption of his goods, and promptly eats two of Odysseus’s men in a fit of rage. Odysseus attempts to establish a sense of hospitality between the two, stating “Now we beg you, here at your knees, to grant a gift, as is the norm for hosts and guests” (Book 9, 248). Odysseus faced a difficult decision, and had considered striking the cyclops in quick fashion, but ultimately decided to be patient. The following day, he presented a gift of wine to Polyphemus. Polyphemus accepts this gift, and becomes intoxicated, asking what Odysseus’s name is. Odysseus responds with “nobody” as his name, and once the cyclops had passed out from his intoxication Odysseus attacked and blind Polyphemus, stabbing his eye. Since he had proclaimed his name to be “nobody,” the cyclops faltered around shouting that “nobody” was attacking him, which provided a further unscathed escape by Odysseus and his men, but not before Polyphemus calls out in anguish for them to be cursed by the gods, thus concluding their encounter with the cyclops and the island. Although it is human nature to try and mitigate situations, Odysseus and his men were rarely greeted with hospitality in their adventures, with many of their encounters being incredibly inhospitable.

Our own voices

Athena and Telemachus

What can be found in the picture relates to the research because in the book Telemachus leads Athena, in disguise, to a table away from all of the suitors. He then asks the servants to bring them the finest meat platter. It can be assumed that the women in the image putting the food on the table is the servant who obeyed Telemachus’ request of a meat platter. All the people in the picture are most likely the suitors that are there to marry Telemachus’ Mom, Penelope. The book also describes Telemachus’ as an upset boy because of the loss of his father and the suitors breaking everything in his house. The book also says he tried to step up to the suitors. He told the suitors to leave but all they did was laugh in his face and tell him he is just a little boy. So that describes why Telemachus would have a posture in the image of being upset or sad.  Athena in the book tells Telemachus the information about Odysseus, his father, to help console Telemachus about the news of his father. So, Athena in the image is her fending off the suitors while in the book Athena consoles him by telling him information. Although the book and image don’t paint the same picture, they both are similar by trying help Telemachus cheer up. 

 This image was chosen because it represents the theme of hospitality of Athena. It also captures the dynamic the audience pictures in their head when they read the excerpt where Athena tells Telemachus about his father being alive and returning back. I think this image is important to the theme of hospitality because it shows a modern-day example in the form of a movie with a massive fan base. It shows a scene in the book, that could be confusing to the reader, and visualizes it in a way that the audience can understand. How this shows a connection to the theme of hospitality is because before we started reading, we were told that The Odyssey had inspired many films such as Star Wars, with that said when many people read the book for the first time and got to the part where Athena reveals information about Telemachus’ father the thing that instantly popped into their heads was this scene from Star Wars. In the image the man on the right, Obi-wan, tells the young man in the middle, Luke, about his father. Now Telemachus and Luke are not in the same predicament meaning that Telemachus had heard of his Father before and knew of him while Luke, an orphan, didn’t know his Father.  What Homer fails to represent is the amount of curiosity and intrigue that Telemachus has about information regarding his father. This image relating to the Odyssey goes and shows the amount of curiosity by body language. The body language of Luke in this scene shows what we didn’t get from the Odyssey which is how alert and attentive he is during the whole conversation about his father that he doesn’t know. It can be assumed that Luke and Telemachus would respond the same way just because of how they both didn’t know anything about their fathers and because they both didn’t have a personal relationship with them. Luke because he is and orphan and Telemachus because he was just born before his father left to go to the Trojan War. How this narrative is important is because it shows how important Odysseus is to Telemachus even though they have never had a relationship with each other. It also shows an insight into Telemachus’ journey in the book to become the man his father was so that he can take control of his house and get the suitors to leave. 

Nausicaa and Odysseus

One adaptation of Nausicaa and Odysseus’s meeting is this painting by Thomas Nelson, created in 1910. Although there have been many adaptations of this scene across many different types of media, this adaptation stood out to me because of Nausicaa’s body language. Within the book, Nausicaa is described as standing tall, separated from her fleeing slaves. As such, many artists choose to depict her standing tall, with confident body language. This kind of posing gives the impression that Nausicaa is a strong, brave woman, who defies her fear of Odysseus and instead shows him hospitality. While this interpretation is accurate to Nausicaa’s character, Nelson’s adaptation of Nausicaa paints a different picture. In his artwork, Nausicaa is drawn with a more inviting posture. Instead of standing tall and brave, she is seen couching down, with her hands clasped together. This kind of body language still portrays Nausicaa’s hospitality, but in a different way. Here, Nausicaa and Odysseus are on equal footing. Within the book and other adaptations, Odysseus feels as though he must beg to receive help from Nausicaa. In Nelson’s painting however, it feels as though Nausicaa is easily approachable, and is willing to provide Odysseus with help, even if he doesn’t beg. This provides the audience with two different ways to see Nausicaa as a character. They could see her as either a brave figure who blesses Odysseus with hospitality, or as a friend to Odysseus who shows him hospitality because of her kindness. Both depictions of Nausicaa’s character show her hospitality, but Nelson’s painting proves that her kindness can be shown in many ways, not just how she is described in The Odyssey. 

It is important to study these characters from multiple adaptations because, like people in the real world, these characters within The Odyssey are not one dimensional, and their actions should not be interpreted the same across all adaptations. By consuming different versions of the same scene, the audience can understand what parts of Nausicaa’s personality are the most important, so much so that changing these traits would change her as a character. Between the 1997 film, Nelson’s painting, and the original book, Nausicaa can be seen as three different characters. With the film, the audience sees her as a princess who helps others no matter the circumstances. With Nelson’s painting, the audience sees her like a guardian angel figure, blessing Odysseus with her hospitality. And finally, with the book, the audience sees her as a brave figure who defies fear to instead show hospitality to the unknown. Although these versions of Nausicaa are different from each other, they all retain one key trait: their unwavering hospitality. When the audience can compare these versions of the same character, they can identify that key trait and recognize the author’s intention when creating the character. 

Odysseus and Polyphemus

A contemporary adaptation of the Odyssey that represents my case study is Arnold Böcklin’s 1896 painting Odysseus and Polyphemus. This painting captures a different standpoint of book nine, with a blinded Polyphemus acting out in one final burst of frustration with Odysseus, hurling a rock in the direction of the men. This contrasts the common depiction of the men escaping unscathed from the cyclops after Polyphemus was blinded. Although it depicts a slightly different narrative, it exhibits and reiterates a prolific sensation of inhospitality. The harrowing image of the crew making their escape from the island against the crashing waves, jagged rocks, and the enraged giant provide an intriguing ‘what if’ to the story. The painting suggests that Polyphemus was still capable and vengeful after being blinded and chased down the voices of the men. His blank expression and lack of any visible eye in the painting entails that he was still blinded in this interpretation but was still able to locate the men based off his hearing. This image obviously continues the narrative that Polyphemus does not practice the same form of hospitality as Odysseus, but an interesting detail is that Odysseus is calling back to shore from the front of the boat, taunting Polyphemus. This contrasts the heroic efforts that the men are exhibiting as they row away from shore, and certainly contrasts from the book’s depictions of Odysseus’s leadership. Despite the intense nature of the scene, Arnold Böcklin highlights the arrogance of Odysseus in contrast to the treacherous scenario that he is in and displays his inconsistency as a leader for his men and pushes the idea that he is causing many of these situations to become escalated into something much more treacherous than it should have been. A reader could interpret Odysseus’s whole adventure as a heroic epic, but despite the overall heroic appearance of the painting, there is a subtle hint that Odysseus is still naive.

Interactive Map

The story of The Odyssey takes place in the real world, specifically in and around Greece. The reason for this most likely being because when Homer was alive, many Greeks thought that there was no other lands other than Greece and its neighbors. However, many places along Odysseus’s journey are fictional, and do not exist in the real world. Thankfully, Homer describes Odysseus’s surroundings with vivid detail, making it possible to deduce where Odysseus travels to in the real world. There are several interpretations of Odysseus’s locations, but the possible choices can easily be narrowed down to just a few options. Although some places Odysseus comes across are fictional, the characters are not unrealistically hospitable or inhospitable. Even if the places they live are fictional, their motives and personalities are not, making them believable characters.

Conclusion

Although there are many prevalent themes in The Odyssey, hospitality is one that shouldn’t be overlooked. Moments of hospitality that take place during Odysseus’s journey are plentiful, such as Athena and Telemachus’ meeting, Nausicaa and Odysseus’s meeting, and Odysseus’s battle with the cyclops Polyphemus. Even through just these scenes, it is made clear to the audience that hospitality plays a big part in the story, and is an important part of Odysseus’s journey. Without hospitality, Odysseus would have been lost at many points throughout his journey, making those who show him hospitality some of his greatest allies. By studying moments of hospitality within the book, the readers can better understand the character’s motives, and why the characters do certain things. When it comes to a complex book like The Odyssey, this skill is an essential one. Not only does analyzing hospitality in The Odyssey help readers understand the characters within that story, but it can help them understand characters within other stories as well. Hospitality is a universal concept and deserves to be examined and studied, and that goes for The Odyssey as well. 

Bibliography

Homer, et al. The Odyssey. W.W. Norton & Company, 2018. 

Mikhalkov-Konchalovskiĭ, Andrĭ Sergeevich, director. The Odyssey. 1997. 

Nelson, Thomas. Odysseus and Nausicaa. 1910.